Moving Beyond Partisan Bias

The importance of critical thinking and open-mindedness

In today's tribalistic world, ideas, facts, and policies are too often judged not on their merits but through a partisan political or ideological lens. Too many people view ideas as good or bad, right or wrong, based simply on the party or person proposing them, without considering the content or logic behind them.

Instead of engaging with the substance of ideas, people rely on primitive emotional thinking. Too many routinely dismiss and often not even listen to an idea if it comes from a political opponent. Or, if they don’t like a different idea, they will dismiss it as “liberal” or “conservative,” whether or not that label is even correct.

This attitude is anti-intellectual and shuts down dialogue. It prevents these people from understanding the wide swath of the American public that is not hyperpartisan and that likes and dislikes policies from both parties. It contributes to the Republican and Democratic Parties becoming out of touch with the average, everyday voter.

The Role of Media in this Binary Way of Thinking

Mass media outlets often present complex issues as binary, framing debates in liberal vs. conservative terms. For example, CNN and the Los Angeles Times regularly characterize criticisms of critical race theory and progressive gender policies as solely coming from the far-right, even though opposition comes from a range of political perspectives, including the left. This oversimplification stifles nuanced debate and ignores the diversity of thought within progressive circles.

Science journalist Karen L. Rudd writes, “Flattened discourse, unfortunately, is often an outcome of certain traditions in journalism. I don’t like ‘blaming the journalists’ but there are limits to the medium and over-simplification is one of them.”

Liberals and Conservatives Can Both Have Good and Bad Ideas

A common misconception of extreme partisans is that only liberals produce good ideas and conservatives only bad ones, or vice versa. Both sides have contributed valuable policies and harmful ones. Evaluating ideas strictly along partisan lines misses the complexity of these issues.

Further, many ideas transcend political boundaries or otherwise don’t fit into simplistic labels. Environmental protection, technology, and criminal justice reform, for examples, can be addressed by both sides, each offering different perspectives. Restricting ideas to a binary left-right framework limits creativity and the potential for collaboration.

To escape the intellectual vacuum caused by partisan bias, we need intellectual rigor and open-mindedness. This means evaluating ideas fairly, setting aside biases, and being open to opposing viewpoints. It requires us to focus on evidence, logic, and outcomes rather than political origin. Intellectual rigor involves being willing to change our views based on compelling evidence.

Related Reading:

The Problems With Political Labels

Good ideas can come from bad people

The DEI Debate and the Illusion of Just Two Sides